The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-30


near by; tho boats gently swung round
with their prows down stream, then get
ting out into the main channel full head
Of steam was turned on and that heav ing
sound characteristic Of u boat under full
Roadway began and the men raised their
hats and cheerel wildly and long,
They seemed more bent on pleasure
excursion than 10 give battle and meet a
determined and powerful foe. The writer
remembers looking at them in this Jolly
mood and wondering how MANY Of the
merry ones would soon ind grave on q
battlefield and what number would rcturp
manned and wounded. Not very long war
IL when word came that Sherman had been
repulsed at Vicksburg and In little while
after, whole boat loads of wounded SOL
diers came up from below.
About the middle OF January, 1863, q
comrade Of the writer-a warm friend
was taken seriously SEX and had to be 70
moved to the rcgimcntal hospital That
he might have special care and be made as
comfortable as possible, the writer accom-
panied him thither and remained with HIM
s me weeks, till his frienls came from the
North and took h IN home to die.
Becoming acquainted with the surgeons
in charge and liking them, and not liking
the irregular and mixed duties of soldier
life about the city, the writer was induced
10 remain and become regular hospital
attachc. The builling oc 'upiei was a
double frame structure, having partition
from front to rear through the center, with
no doors of communication. 1t was two
stories high and up stairs and down had
wide porches tho whole width of the build
ing. On either side of the part ton were
two rooms, one in front and one in rear,
and hall way with flight Of stairs that
led to the second story, arranged precisely
like the lower.
/ One side the partition with its four rooms
was occupied by the sick-cach room form
cd separate ward and for three months
during the winter of 1923 these apart
mcnts were literally crowded with the
sick from one regiment.
The other side the partition was occu.
pied for Offices and used as storage rooms.
Is ok of the main building and adjoining
thereto was long, low structure used as
kitchen and dining room.
There was great deal Of sickness and
many deaths this winter. The most fatal
disease was measles, Quite proportion
of the newly-enlisled men had never hal
measles and among this class that disease
played havoc. A number of great strap
ping fellows in the wri er's company
had never had the disease and wer, soon
attacked with it, some of whom died, 9TH
ers lie a,ae permanent invallds an were
discharged, and few st their voices or
had defective eyc-sight or hearing.
SO much for the ravages OF a disc !se in
the army that in civil life is considered u
comparative mild malady.
Perhaps no period of like duration was
more dscouraging to the Union cause than
the winter of 1868. The Army of the Po-
tomac under Burns ; had met with terri
BILE disaster at Fredericksburg, Va, De-
ccmber Is, 1862; Sherman hal been re-
pulsed with severe loss the same month at
Vicksburg, and December 81, the last day
of the year, was fought the bloody battle
Of Stones River or Murfreesboro, between
the Union forces under General Itosecrans,
and the COnfedcratcs under General Bragg,
either side losing in killed and wounded
eight to ten thousand men, and neither
winning decisive victory.
An unusual amount Of serious sickness
prevailed throughout the armies that win
ter One reason possibly was the great
amount Of rainfall, particularly in the
western and southwestern field OF opera
tons. Another was the very large acces-
sion Of new troops. For six months after
enlistment, a new regiment has to pass
through a sort of winnowing process, in
which the chafl, so to speak, Is separated
from the wheat: when the weaklngs, the
soft, tender, susceptible ones either die,
or, becoming unfit for duty, are discharged,
eaving the command with a lot Of ~ cd
men-as it were vcritable survival Of the
tittcst
Any way, the winter of 1898 was one
of peculiar encouragement to Union people.
Nearly all with whom tho writer came in
contact at this period, most Of whom were
soldiers, seemed to feel this.
In and about Memphis sickness Of a seri.
Gus character prevailed among the troops
all winter.
The regimental hospital was on ono Of
the main streets, and from its front win
dows several times daily could be seen q
slowly moving ambulance within which
was pine coffin containing the dead body
Of a soldier, preceded by military band
playing drge and followed by company
of soldiers with reversed arms. Farther
on in the suburbs was the soldiers burying
ground.
Eryslpelas prevailed as an epidemic and
When it attacked the face, its favorite
site, the features were horribly swollen
and distorted, the eyes closed ald when all
was painted over with Iodine, u frequent
local remedy, the sufferers countenance
was as inhuman like as can be imagined.
Erysipclas, measles, rheumatism, typhoid
fever, dysentery AMI other fatal troubles,
carried off many men during tho winter
For time scarce a day passed but one or
more III II died at the rcgimental hospital
AS one poor follow after another was
carried out in his pine coffin tho writer re-
members thinking of the sad news the next
outgoing mail would convey to frlen Is
away up North.
Some wife, mother or sster would for q
time lead a sajder life and carry a heavier
heart. Before death, in the great majority
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